Joivale
Joivale is a much different country from the others on Halcyon. It's focused mostly on building living things and extreme wildlife, then merging them together through story. The towns in Joivale will generally be centered around a theme based on the nature around it, with giant organic creatures throughout the world. Landscape and climate are important to Joivale, with ecosystems based around them. History Joivale was once a normal land, with only a few stray dragons seen on occasion, and dense but non-magical plant life. Over the course of a hundred years, the plants and animals began to grow bigger and more fantastic for an unknown reason. Most towns adapted with it, but some refused to change and were driven to ruin. Today, most people in Joivale live in harmony with nature, with the exception of most dragons remaining hostile. Greyhaven Along and immediately under the Greycrest Mountains lies the province of Greyhaven. Full of dragons and other large beasts, the citizens of Greyhaven tend to bunker down in large fortresses to protect themselves. Those who can't build castles hide in caves within the Greycrest mountains. Others proudly build their cities on the cliffs, fighting off whatever beasts may come. Silverfold The upper half of the temperate forests; follows the northern-bound Silverfold River. Generally an area of peace and prosperity, having lush landscape without being as dangerous or difficult to traverse as Illona. Anything from small villages to large castles can be found throughout the forest, along with the tall trees that make it up. These trees are the main economic force in Silverfold, and they grow exceptionally fast because of the magic. People often trade their wood to Grayhaven and Dragonfall because of their need for it. Silverfold cities don't need the wood since there aren't many giant creatures or wars. To the east, where Silverford culture mixes with Illonian culture, some treetop canopy villages may be found, as well as other types of Illonian villages. Falldragon The lower half of the temperate forests. Generally follows the Winthrope River, but spreads quite a bit to each side. Falldragon is a much more warring region than Silverfold because of the less nurturing environment. There are very few easily acquirable materials, with the average tree being nearly rock-solid and not much on the ground. The region was built on mining, but the worms and underground creatures became bigger with everything else in the country during the Magnum Opus of Joivale, and eventually the mines were closed as more and more people fell prey to giant worm attacks. A few mines are still open, though dangerous to use. Each city-state is forced to keep one open in order to compete. The main problem with Falldragon is that the only material wealth they have is metal, and most of that goes to weapons to fight each other, leaving the entire region in a state of permanent war and poverty. Illona A jungle full of huge trees and wildlife, the canopy shadowing everything beneath it. Crystalmoor River runs from the mountains down through the rainforest, creating rolling hills and fueling the intense vegetation in the area. The people of Illona hunt/gather in the Illona Rainforest, as they always have. The Magnum Opus of Joivale extended their bonds with nature, to the point where the trees almost seem to grow into villages for them, and the wildlife trade favors with them. Holmfirth A less verdant environment than the rest of Joivale, Holmfirth has a hilly climate with sparse trees spread throughout it. Before the Magnum Opus, the region was used almost explicitly as farmland. The plants they grew weren't native to the land, however, and were affected strangely by the infusion of magic. Instead of growing, they took on strange properties. Without realizing it, the people of Holmfirth ate the crops and became hysterical. As the fruits got stranger, the people got addicted and went more insane, and eventually the entire region went into chaos. Towns went to civil war for no reason, and everything generally went to chaos. Most of the old cities are in ruin, and new cities, matching the insanity of the citizens, have appeared. Culhurst Isolated from the rest of the regions by the upper part of the Greycrest Mountains. Culhurst was hit very lightly by the magic, but the little bit that did reach it seemed to develop the minds of the humans instead of the bodies of the plants and animals. The region has developed advanced technology, far different than any other in the world. Most of the machinery runs on magic and steam, with gears and pistons to make things run. Violet Isle An almost completely uninhabited island, named after the purple fauna that have always grown there. The Magnum Opus of Joivale multiplied these plants, making the island a beautiful, exotic paradise. A few small villages dot the landscape, but no major settlements can be found. The main attraction to the island is the amazing, colorful plant life that has sprung up.